JOURNALISTS' INSTITUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 302, 15 September 1908, Page 9

JOURNALISTS' INSTITUTE.

THE LIBERTY OF Tfli i'PRESS. The annual meeting of the''New !i Zealand Journalists' Institute was held yesterday:-at.. tho Parliamentary Press Room, Mr. Charles Earlc, president, occupying the cliMF;' The 'annual report a satisfactory year, and disclosed' also that;oou~ sidcrable success had attended ,tho institution, of ono or two new departures. „The, visit,,pf, the American fleet to New Zealand had given tho Auckland branch ofythojinstituto-an op-, portunity of demonstrating, the.. Value, of ;hav.ing a journalistic organisation. 1 ..,, Th,o., blanch : had been able to cnsUre that-in -tho; arrange-, .monts' for, welcomiing tho visitors, pressmen were not the result,of..their..represontations, cordially received; by ..tho,'iGo.y;-.: eminent Commissioners, being' that a comfortably furnished dubroom 'in", which visiting journalists Mrere* able ,to t ndo their work' noar tho sourcg,.,o! J ',;the,jicrrcs; During tho year an widow and children of a 'countryl.journalisi~ who had met an untimely-,;Gui'„liadrresultad, in donations through the institute, gggreg?,t-, iiig £27 13s. Tho council desired ;to, l pj3ce;on ; i record its high 'appreciation rendered during the past ~yj3arV;by,'ihor,lion... secretary, Mr. C. E. Wheelerw,as.<ilue'. I t£, his enthusiasm and keen interest,in thei jyel 7 faro of members that the insiituto"hadi lieeii able to show some real beifftftt iia niembers, through the medium of thci:Eii{nlpyip l en,t.,Qij-. cular. Tho work which had fallen, to liis.jlqt. had been .exceptionally heavy.".""lZ. The report and. balance-sHeet'TOraiaj3optod.i! . N _ After discussion it was refiQlvpd.,t}Mtr,dicing good behaviour and the Satisfactory performance of professional duties'-anylmembeiv of a reportorial staff should,,,b<Centifledfito, at least a fortnight's notica,gf,,tprmjp&tidpjp?, employment. ' i-.jlm,- > ' ,; Tho. following resolution behalf of the Wellington bi;ahch,.pf -tho iiisti-.: tute and unanimously agreed,to.;-jr'';TJiat v tlirs,. institute 1 affirms tho undepiraljleßess}; ,of leaving unnoticed tho attacli:g\-f;h'at;[ase;;mado! upon the integrity of th6irprofessional capacity, and tholiittacksvupoii'.the proper, liberty of tho pres?,'ji},;the .matter of political criticism." In, ijho,, course-.of the discussion upon tho motion itiwas urged that there was amongst coloniju-..,,-politicians a growing tendency to discr^lit-.ithe.,honesty and intelligence of journalists,,,and. a result-' ant readiness on tho part of parliaments to bring forward proposals inimical to the best interests of journalism. Reference was made to Mr. Deakiri's support of'Va l,: pY6i!ibsiil l '-in , ''tll6 Federal Parliament to appoint Coni':' mittee to consider the advisableness'bf filunt'-i ing'tho edge of press eritieism'io'F political ' abuses, and to-Sir T. cofc-l' pel the writers of political'editoriftls/tojpfjnt ; thoir names. Tho frequency■with'whicli'meni'f, bers of the New Zealand Housa'of Ttepresen- V tatives attack journalists o'Af'tlio floor'of tlio" House was alluded to, alld;V.alsb''.'ii statement by a member of "doctored" reports of ParJiamentary , pro-,' cecdings were published in 'the" press.' A"pro-" test'was also made against"j;he'M' J jtli^"' ; ;clauso. of tho Second Ballot Bill, fan'd tlie^p^pipns; expressed by the Prime? Miiiisler ,; : ,ai}d' Attorney-General in supporting"fi''waS' pointed out that hitlierto th'o"iri,stituto. liaj' made' no protest against tlijs dency, and that the public, to extraordinary delusioristjfesp'octing"'newspaper methods, had hithertb'hear'di'bnlylohd' side of the question. Several ( rriembc;;s : , _jrv supporting the motion, testified to thqirquent personal experience of uiijust', attacks by politicians. .'" r . Mr. Leo Fanning was fleets Mr. Wheeler, hpiiig declined rcpeleciion, ,and , the meeting adjourned till nest'Monday.'^